1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connection structure when optical fibers led out of optical elements, parts and/or devices used in optical communication and optical information processing, such as optical elements, optical circuit packages and/or optical circuit devices, are mutually connected, and a process for connecting the optical fibers.
2. Description of the Background Art
In connection of a plurality of optical elements within an optical circuit package, or optical connection making use of optical fibers between a plurality of optical circuit packages or optical circuit devices on which an optical circuit package has been mounted, an optical connector or mechanical splicer is generally installed between ends of optical fibers led out of optical elements, optical circuit packages, optical circuit devices and/or the like to connect the optical fibers, or the optical fibers are mutually connected by fusing connection.
However, the current optical connector requires PC (physical contact) connection for connecting the optical fibers. For reasons of that, it is necessary to insert the optical fibers into a ferrule made of zirconia, glass, ceramic or the like to bond them and then polishing the optical fibers, and so a process for connecting the optical fibers is considerably complicated, and it takes a long time for the polishing step.
On the other hand, the connection by the mechanical splicer in which no polishing step is required and the fusing connection requires positioning in a V-shaped groove or within a capillary in a state that claddings of the optical fibers have been exposed. In such a case, there has been a possibility that the claddings of the optical fibers may be damaged. In particular, when the optical fibers are positioned within a glass capillary as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 160564/1999, the claddings of the optical fibers have come into contact with the capillary, and so there is a high possibility that ends of the claddings of the optical fibers may be damaged, it has takes a long time for work, and a great influence has been exerted on yield.
The above publication and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 264914/1999 show that a slot is provided in a capillary to fill a joint between the optical fibers with an adhesive or index matching agent. In such a case, the strength of the capillary becomes very weak due to the provision of the slot, and the slot portion may be broken in some cases upon a connecting operation, which causes a problem.